No matter where the ball lands once he fires it from his hands, whether off the iron or tickling the twine, Noah Dolinsky takes a new piece of information from each strike. That mentality of growth has enabled him to be a sharp-shooting second-year player for Valley Regional boys’ basketball.

The Warriors sophomore shooting guard took part in baseball and soccer until just before high school, but he picked up a basketball around seventh grade. Deciding to get more serious about the sport last winter, Noah found a home with the Valley boys’ basketball program and has worked his way into a starting slot this campaign.

“I love playing basketball with my friends. And my coaches have told me that if you want to be the best at something, you have to work for it. I realized I have a passion for this,” says Noah. “Another big key for me has been consistency with just showing up to the court every day and working hard.”

While Noah loves firing at will with the rock in his hands, he acknowledges holding the responsibility of being a marks man for the team can bring about some uneasiness. Yet he knows that the faith that his colleagues and coaches have in him to shoot his shots just fuels his swagger to keep going.

“I love shooting while playing the position,” Noah says. “But one of the harder parts of it is the pressure you have for your team and coaches to make the shots. Yet my teammates and coaches trust me to take the shot, which gives me confidence to do well.”

Taking it from right around the perimeter from long range is the prime position to knock 'em down for Noah. He adds that there is no secret flick or release maneuver on the ball–he just makes sure to come away with valuable takeaways while never being adverse to experimentation.

“I love shooting three-point shots. It is my best and main scoring option. I like to just catch and shoot from the corner and take them whenever I can get the opportunity,” says Noah. “I just keep working on things that I can take away from our games, and I am always trying new things with my game and my shots.”

Noah explains he gets quite an emotional boost from his court cohorts when he needs a mental and verbal lift. As great as the highs of winning can be, taking a moment to self-reflect and improve from the defeats can fuel even greater bounce backs and bigger successes.

“I have improved with my mental game thanks to my teammates, because they do pick me up a lot,” Noah says. “I also think both winning and losing helps to build your mentality, along with repetition of my routine and practicing.”

Team synergy and cohesion is often fortified during the offseason moments, and so Noah and his fellow Warriors kept each other solid company through the dog days of summer while getting in crucial reps to prepare for the winter. Now, while the first half of the regular season may not have gone as well as Valley had envisioned, the athletes are certainly looking to show resilience in the latter half of the campaign by staying tight and close-knit.

“During the summer, myself and my teammates played every day, and we spent a lot of time off the court,” says Noah. “I think playing together year-round has helped build our team chemistry. For the next half of the season, we will be focusing on continuing to build that team chemistry through the ups and downs.”

Head Coach Kevin Woods exclaims that Noah truly eats, sleeps, and breathes not only the game, but also his progression within it. His efforts have also proven to be a winning boost for the Warriors on the scoreboard and in the stat book.

“Noah is an incredibly dedicated player who has put in a lot of work in practice, at personal training facilities, and at the gym on his own time,” says Woods. “He wakes up first thing in the morning and works on his game. His ability to score has been instrumental in the games we have won this year. When he has good nights scoring, our team typically has a good night on the court. If he keeps working as hard as he has been, he could be a very special player by the time he graduates, and up there with some of the other big names that have come through the Valley Regional basketball program."

Noah has some lofty but certainly attainable personal goals for himself on the floor for his junior and senior seasons. Though beyond the solo milestones and accolades, he wants to be part of a club that brings a championship back to Valley.

“I would like to make First Team All-State and All-Shoreline in the future,” says Noah. “But for team goals, I would love to see us win a Shoreline title and a state title. I would also maybe like to reach 1,000 points for my career at Valley. Overall, I am just concerned with being better and reaching my full potential.”

Noah has grasped the importance of a growth mindset nearing only the end of his underclassmen years. He makes it a point to gain a tally of knowledge every 24 hours, in addition to finding a sole responsibility to entrench himself in for the betterment of himself and a group.

“It is important to take away something from each game and learn from it,” Noah says. “It is also important to find your role and work on getting better at it every single day. All of those things will help make you a stronger player and person.”